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Pittsburgh-Based Company Establishes Memorial Fund To Support Brain Tumor Research At University Of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute

PITTSBURGH, August 25, 2004 A Pittsburgh-based railroad equipment supply company, Wabtec Corporation (NYSE: WAB), has announced a memorial fund to support brain tumor research and physician education at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI). The fund, created in memory of former Wabtec president and CEO Gregory T.H. Davies, will help promote scientific and clinical research on innovative strategies to prevent, detect, diagnose and treat brain tumors, diagnosed in approximately 20,000 Americans each year.

A brain tumor diagnosis can be devastating for a patient, said Ronald Herberman, M.D., director of UPCI and the UPMC Cancer Centers. Not only do they infiltrate critical tissue quickly, they also tend to resist a multitude of treatments. We are extremely grateful to Wabtec for the formation of this fund because it will allow us to pursue promising, new approaches to brain tumors that can translate into vast improvements in treatment and possibly even cures.

The fund, The Gregory T.H. Davies Brain Tumor Research and Physician Education Endowed Fund, will support the UPCI Brain Tumor Programs ongoing efforts in neuro-oncology, neurology, neurosurgery, neuropathology, neuro-imaging, radiation oncology and translational research with the ultimate goal of reducing death and disability from brain tumors.

Wabtec and its directors contributed $300,000 to the fund, established to honor Davies, a graduate of Harvard Business School, who also worked at Danaher Corporation and Cummins Engine Company. Davies was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in March of this year and died in July at the age of 57.

Greg's courage and strength were an inspiration to everyone at Wabtec, and his legacy will live on within our company, said William E. Kassling, Wabtec chairman, president and CEO. Through this fund, we are striving to make sure that his legacy can have a positive impact on others who are faced with similar challenges.

The fund also will help create educational initiatives to teach medical students, fellows and physicians how to communicate effectively, clearly, consistently and compassionately with patients and their caregivers.

Brain tumors are benign or malignant tumors that can damage vital neurological pathways and invade and compress brain tissue. Ninety percent of all primary brain tumors occur in adults 40 to 70 years of age.

For more information about the fund or to make a donation, call 412-623-4700.